Keep Up the Bad Faith
by Vanilla Secrets
Summary: So you're high up in the clouds. And when someone's high up in the clouds, it's supposed to mean that person's happy. But no, that's not how you feel. You're not happy at all. Post-Son of Neptune.


**A/N: **So… hi?

I know I've been out for a long time. For a year I haven't lifted my writing pen and writing paper and try to continue my stories rotting in this site because I was so stuck with senior year, my growing fondness for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Heroes of Olympus series (squee), and my seemingly loss of drive to write. But thanks to summer and a fellow FFN author, I have gotten the drive to get my writing materials again and have written once more, though in a new fandom. I am about to say "Yay!" because I'm back to writing at last and the series have kept me all giddy these days, but I remember I have some unfinished business from GAFFN :| Despite the guilt, I am happy posting this because this has helped me motivate myself to continue what I have left rotting here in FFN (finally!), and yeah, Percyyyyyy!

For all the Favorite Author, Favorite Story and Story Alert e-mails I have received, guys, you have no idea how much I was shocked and how much I am grateful. I don't know if you guys have turned pale waiting for updates from me, but if you did, I am terribly sorry. I am not promising constant updates, but I assure you, I _will _finish my stories. You can hold on to that :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fanfic :D

**Dedication:** Black Maya, for helping me out with the title, and telling me to "UPDATE ;A;" and "WRITE PERCABETH OMG SQUEE" and generally, though it's just me, "WRIIIIITE!" Love you, girl.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus.

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**Keep Up the Bad Faith**

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Let's put it this way. You're high up in the clouds. But no, you're not feeling incredibly happy. You're _literally _high up in the clouds, now that you're finally aboard the Argo II. Well, it's been days since you left the grounds of Camp Half-Blood, but strangely, you feel like it's been just _minutes _since you took off. It unusually took a long time for it to sink in your being, and now you can't help but feel nervous. Not incredibly happy, but nervous. Ridiculously nervous.

You have some reasons to feel that way. A lot of possibilities have been taking strolls on the sidewalks inside your brain, like the chances of having problems regarding the warship. Not that you don't trust Leo, but you've gotten used to finding mistakes—or thinking there might be—in every architectural structure made, to thinking these mistakes, when not taken into consideration, will cause the edifice to crumble down. But then, so far, reports of the Argo II malfunctioning haven't been reported. All of you have had a smooth ride. So yeah, screw your hubris.

Anyway, you've seen Leo's efforts in building the flying ship. You don't deny it, even though he may seem to act like there is not a single problem in the world, he was all serious with the project. And it was not just him. You give credits to all of the campers who helped during the span of eight months. The Hephaestus kids who were all out in constructing the ship. The Apollo and the Ares kids who made the weapons for the voyage. The Demeter cabin for the refreshments (yes, you had to count that). Piper and the rest of the Aphrodite kids… well, Piper for doing some little physical work and the rest of them for the encouragement, and looking over their reflections later on. You rolled your eyes at that, but then, it had boosted the workers' motivation, and at least it was some help. And of course, Jason. You are more grateful to him than anyone else. Well, he's from the Roman side, and Romans and Greeks are supposed to be enemies. But then, without any second thought, he helped. Well it's for the salvation of both groups, anyway. But still, you're grateful.

You feel really overwhelmed, having witnessed yet again another scene of campers doing what they can to save their camp. To save their home.

In the scene preceding that, Percy was still there.

You cringe. You feel raw not to have him in these recent moments. He would have mocked Grover in all his seriousness of being part of the Council of Cloven Elders, but still give his full support, anyway. He would have helped in training those new demigods. He would have been there to welcome Tyson when the latter came to camp to help with the construction of the Argo II.

But after longing for his presence in those significant happenings (though you would not openly admit that), after those months of desperately looking for his whereabouts, you finally know the answers to your questions. And finally, after the longest eight months of your life, you're going there, to where he is.

And you can't help but feel nervous again about what happens after that.

"Annabeth!"

Your thoughts get interrupted. You move your gaze from the view of the San Francisco mountains to the interiors of the ship, only to see an approaching Leo, holding an open scroll.

"Leo," you call out softly.

"Hey! So uhm, I've already let the wind spirit send the video scroll to Roman camp. Says it'd be there in a jiffy," he lets out a smile that gave you reassurance. "And hey, it's cool by the way! It's like a video call from Skype or something. Never knew things like that exist at camp!"

You stifle a smile. "They're only used for emergency purposes, so they are not used that much. Any problems on Argo II?"

"Oh, not at all! Supreme Commander Leo Valdez is an all-out worker, so no worries! Yes, there are no problems!… So far."

With those last two words, you would have worried yourself, but Leo's doubtful expression was so funny you let out a laugh. "Well you've got to check out possible problems, _Supreme Commander_. We're close to landing."

You see Leo's expression shift to a face of relief. He held up his hand in a mock salute, and ran out.

You sigh in remembrance. You have seen that part of Leo most of the time, from his arrival at camp as a baffled new demigod, to his volunteering for Jason's quest while carrying that bronze dragon you first thought was beyond repair, to him showing his discovery which was the Bunker 9, to him facilitating the creation of the Argo II, to him using his powers to help out the needy. You have observed how he acted in all those situations, how at one minute he would tease Jason when he catches the latter staring at Piper as they do some hammer work, and how he goes all on "Supreme Commander" mode when someone reports a problem. In all of those, he was carefree, easygoing, but he knows when to be serious.

You're starting to sound like a stalker now, but no. Leo's actions just remind you achingly of Percy.

But you don't need any remembrances anymore. Any minute from now, you will land on Roman camp, and you'll finally see him once again. You won't have those sleepless nights anymore, bawling your eyeballs out. You won't have to experience those twisted feelings again. By the second you arrive, you will run, fall into his arms, and be happy again. You'll be happy again.

But that's silly thinking. You don't even know what he's going to feel that moment, now that he may have also lost his memory.

The feeling of nervousness crawls back into your system.

"You've been thinking again."

You turn your head to where the voice came from. You are surprised to see Jason beside you, giving you a small smile then setting his gaze to the view of San Francisco.

"Oh. Jason."

"You know, every time I see you, you just seem to be so engrossed in your thoughts."

You don't know if that's supposed to be an insult, but you just turn your head to the view outside. "I just… like thinking. That's all."

"Not surprising for a daughter of Athena."

You are engulfed in silence for a moment. Both of you continue to watch the view shifting from lush green mountains to hilltops dotted with evidences of civilization. You realize you have forgotten where your trail of thoughts has stopped. You grab the chance to take a glimpse of your companion. You wonder if he's thinking as well.

"To be honest, I feel nervous about coming back."

It astonishes you how you both feel the same way, though in your part you're coming there for the first time. "So am I."

He snickers a bit, then he pauses. "It's been months. Almost a year, even. Maybe a lot of things have happened. Maybe a lot of things have changed. Maybe they got a new praetor to set things straight and… no, no, it can't be Octavian. He _won't _do anything to set things straight. Now I'm worried about Fifth Cohort. I'm worried about Reyna—"

You may be the daughter of the goddess of wisdom but you are definitely clueless of what he's talking about, but the sound of him worrying for an unknown _girl _caught your attention. "Wait. I-I thought you liked Piper."

In a matter of two seconds, you see his face contort into a confused expression, then into a look of remembrance, then doubt. "I… I don't know. I mean, during our quest I knew I liked her and things like that but, as soon as my memories started to get back I… remember a girl named Reyna and…" he sighs heavily. "I don't know anymore."

Sympathy begins to flow inside you like a river, then abruptly stops as if there's a Hoover Dam in your vessels. Sadness—maybe even hurt—begins to wash away the river which had just started to run. "I wonder if Percy feels the same way."

Images of him having those expressions of confusion, remembrance and doubt fill your mind. At the same time, feelings of despair again fill your heart like how the waters from a river fill a dam. You feel yourself hurting so much but no, you don't feel something flow out from your eyes. Seems like your eyes have dried out from all out bawling sessions in the middle of the nights and from those moments you feel terribly incomplete and alone.

"Hey," Jason says comfortingly. Maybe he noticed how miserable you have looked like. Not that you care. You're in so much pain to care. "I may not know Percy personally, but I don't think he's also feeling what I feel right now."

"How can you be sure?"

"Words from Camp Half-Blood. Him being a very good person and all. Loyal and caring for his friends. For you. I guess he's the person who wouldn't trade you for anything in the world. I mean, you're a good person, too."

His words sink in, but it does little to make you feel better. You're a thinker, and that doesn't stop the possibilities of what's in store for you from swarming in your mind. You never knew it hurts to be so smart.

"Thanks for the stay, by the way," he continues. "You know I just don't get how both camps have to be enemies. Like, I had a great time with you all. You all have been so kind."

"…Oh. Uh, yeah. You're right. I mean, I also don't understand about us being enemies."

He offers a small smile. You give him a halfhearted one in return, still affected by your painful thoughts.

"We have arrived! All sails ready!"

You hear Leo giving out commands to prepare the warship for its landing. As the thought of landing came, you look down to see what's below.

A bird's eye view of a camp situated on a valley meets your sight. It's like Camp Half-Blood, but then it seems more sophisticated and cultured, with more structures that look like the Big House and huge whitewashed buildings, like a replica of a Roman empire. It certainly deserved the title "Roman camp," you think.

"It still looks the same," you perceive Jason's comment.

You feel the sails of the warship rise up, some stirring, and the ship turning and slowly moving down and closer to the ground, near a tall white building with pillars. All campers aboard gather to the sides of the ship, together with you and Jason. At the same time, you see many people—you're even shocked to see how many they are, almost _twice _as the number of campers at Camp Half-Blood, and how they all vary, there are young, there are old, there are families and standalones… you take back your comment about the Roman camp being like Camp Half-Blood because you are so not like that back at your camp—crowd together. There are even armored ones, forming a single line in front of the mob all with their weapons and all, ready to shoot at any time.

But you don't even prepare yourself. All you care about is search for a familiar shag of black hair.

You feel like your heart's going to plunge out of your chest in agony as you think again of the scenes you have imagined, all possible scenes you can witness when you see him after months of his absence. Him hanging out with other people. Him laughing with other people. Him living in another cabin, or whatever a cabin's called in their home. Him giving out his help, his loyalty, his everything, his smile, to other people. To another girl.

But you look around, anyway. You're going to drag his butt out here and bring him back. He has to go back. He doesn't belong here. He belongs to Camp Half-Blood, to the Greek campers, to Cabin Three. To you.

You see a whole lot of figures, a whole lot of black mane, but you don't see him. You grow nervous again. You wish the gods have invented something to speed up time because you can't take anymore these feelings that had made you suffer internally all these months. You just want to see him, to end the agony and this torture torture _torture_, and just see _right now _what's going to happen for you two, whether if it was good or not. But that doesn't stop you from wishing for the best, anyway. Because if what will happen will hurt you, you will kick him out of the universe.

You feel the tension inside you rise up when your eyes catch a tint of purple, a boy in a purple toga among the group, the black strands on his head dancing with the wind.

Something in your chest feels like falling.

"Wait… there's a new praetor?" The baffled tone in Jason's voice distracts you.

"Where?" you absentmindedly ask.

"The ones wearing the purple togas. The girl, it's…"

But you don't listen to his last words anymore. You take a look again. The boy in the toga, that _has _to be him. But he's… beside a girl. And she's wearing the same toga he's wearing.

You were wondering right all along. He had felt the same way Jason did. He found another girl. But the difference is he didn't go over the confusion. He went for the girl he found. He chose her over you.

You think about going inside the boat, not following your plans of going down the ship and facing those Roman people and introducing yourselves as friendly, we-come-at-peace Greek campers, forgetting your plans of running down the ship and falling into his arms. You don't even think of kicking him out of the universe anymore.

But then, before you do so, you see him looking at you. Not at that girl in that stupid toga, not at other campers aboard the ship, but you.

You feel so foolish for looking back, but then, maybe it is you holding on to wishing for the best. That maybe, he didn't forget. Maybe, he remembers.

And suddenly, you see his face lighten up and break into a smile. You may be yards away from him, feet up high from him, but you swear you can see his green eyes twinkle like emeralds, like the wild wild sea.

You can feel your heart's going to plunge out in _joy_. Of course he remembers. That seaweed brain has to remember. He loves you, after all.

You feel tears trickle down your cheeks, carrying away all the feelings that have tortured you all this time. Finally, you've never felt better.


End file.
